Rare books from The Prime Meridian: Antique Maps & Books

Paris: H. Jaillot, 1695. VG, heavy paper, hand colored, decorative cartouche, inset of southern mediterranean / Algerian coast. A striking image, after Sanson and copied by several later cartographers. The above date is approximate, although clearly printed with the 5 scales indicated on the map.. Some browning and chipping of lower margin, not crossing neatline and easily covered by matting. This depicts the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire at the time, with its reaches through Asia, Europe and Africa. Includes environs of Mediterranean, Black, Red and Caspian Seas, with the "Golfe D'Ormus" at the western edge of the map. Includes details of Mediterranean with Cyprus, Rhodes, Candie, Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica, and much more. This is a very uncommon map, with the image measuring 18x25 inches (centerfold as issued)..

Paris: Jaillot, 1695. VG, with only flaw some dampstaining at lower margin with expert verso paper reinforcement, not affecting main image (would mat well). Centerfold as issued; hand-colored. A very uncommon and attractive plate, with a small walled city view (birds-eye) of Vienna, with all surrounding villages (castles) marked. A nice image of the Danube is central here. Jaillot was originally a sculptor (see Moreland & Bannister: Antique Maps). The copperplate image is 18x25.5 inches. .

London: Christopher Browne (at the Globe near the West End of St. Pauls Church), 1695. Good, hand colored outlines, This is the Christopher Browne imprint (see Roderick M. Barron's description in his catalogue 33 as to the recent discovery of this imprint, separate from the more commonly reported Bassett and Chiswell 1676 plate), which may be more common than initially thought. Browne published a bit later, and had purchased the Bassett and Chiswell plates, then changed the name on a few of those (of which this plate was one; very few survive), and the date here is approximate. This is a striking image with Jerusalem inset, newly updated and published in the 1676 edition (date approximate) of Speed's " A Prospect of the Most Famous Parts of the World". There is some general browning, with some professional restorations at folds (virtually no image loss), mild upper margin staining (mostly in blank areas) and backed with Japon paper. A custom case was made for this map, after… Read More

Paris (Rue des Augustins): le Rouge , 1760. Contemporary marbled cloth boards, rebacked with banded leather spine and gilt-lettering. All 89 plates, including American ports (Quebec, Louisbourg, Nouvelle orleans, Fort Dauphin, Cayenne, Ville Marie), plus Table (index) at rear. These are b&w (as issued) copperplate engravings, on laid paper, all in very good or better condition. Le Rouge was trained as a military engineer, but did quite a number of cartographic works, often with a military slant, between 1740-1780 (see Moreland & Bannister, ANTIQUE MAPS). Listed as Phillips' entry 2975. A rather uncommon small atlas. Neat owners signatures.. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

Braun & Hogenberg, 1598. Near fine, early color, latin edition (applicable text verso). Very decorative town plan of Toledo, Spain from this edition of the famous city atlas. Cherubim, palace, temple all present as separate images. These plans are well-known to collectors, and this particular item is increasingly uncommon. The full atlas was published in 6 volumes, in various editions, from 1572-1617. It was a collaborative work between many artists, engravers and cartographers (for a nice discussion of the history of this atlas, see Goss's THE MAPMAKERS ART, pp. 260-5). The map image measures 12.75x20 inches..

Philadelphia (Chestnut Street), 1822: HC Carey and I Lea, 1822. VG due to some minimal dampstaining most evident left upper corner, and minimally crossing neatline. The color portion of the map shows no significant visual effects from the stains. The original hand-colored image is clear and bright, with the surrounding letterpre ss text detailing aspects of population, climate, commerce, religion, government. There is a nice general historical sketch (in a separate page of original text, included here-- "Appendix to No. 18") in the letterpress. From the first edition "A Complete Historical, Chronological, and Geographical American Atlas...", which was also the first American atlas with letterpress printing on the map. This is a nice map, but for the defects described. The map image is 45x31cm; the entire image is 52.5x42cm..

Paris: Ganeau, 1744. Excellent condition, strong impression, b&w engraved copperplate from Tome III of the 4to, 1744 edition of Charlevoix's "Histoire de la Nouvelle France" (Journal D'un Voyage...). The image is 9.5 x 14.5 inches, with folds as issued. This image has the full eastern USA, including Louisiane, north to Newfoundland, most of the Great Lakes, teh Atlantic Ocean, Acores, and east to the western coasts of Africa, Spain, France and British Isles. It is quite attractive, and not often seen for sale in this early state..

Jansson, c. 1657. Near-fine nicely colored (later) map with striking cartouche. Minor marginal soiling, no tears, 2 scales (Milliaria Germanica Communia and Milliaria Gallica Communia). Jansson was the son-in-law of Jodocus Hondius, and eventually managed their firm. Jansson eventually published an 11 volume Atlas Major (many of his maps were similar to, and prpbably copied from Blaeu's-- see Moreland & Bannister's ANTIQUE MAPS, 1989 edition). A beautiful map, 41.5x50.5cm..

Nuremberg: Homann Heirs, 1746. Very good, heavy paper, early color, dual hemisphere world map. This is rather decorative, with the four additional smaller polar spheric projections on the map, and two diagrams relating to the position of the sun. Each of the main hemispheric images is 27 cm in diameter, with the full image measuring 46 x 54 cm, on sheet measuring 52 x 62 cm. This is a strong impression, with the cartouches uncolored, as issued. Titles in Latin and French. Two extra printers creases in upper margin; very small portion of right lower corner missing (well outside platemark and neatline). Old 1 cm taped repair to verso of lower margin. Centerfold as issued. .

Amsterdam: Schenk and Valk, 1708. Very good, minimal foxing, early color (with more recent enhancement) copperplate from this 1708 (original version published in 1660 by Jansson) Schenk/Valk issue of (Andreas Cellarius') "Harmonia Macrocosmica Seu Atlas Universalis Et Novus." The striking image measures 43 x 52 cm on a sheet 51 x 60 cm. Numerous cherubim surrond the circular view, as does an outer circle of a number of signs of the zodiac. There are a couple of pinhole defects, repaired verso, with no significant loss of imate. Ref: Koeman, Atlantes Neerlandici, Cel.3..

Amsterdam: Schenk and Valk, 1708. Very good, minimal foxing, early color copperplate from this 1708 (original version published in 1660 by Jansson) Schenk/Valk issue of (Andreas Cellarius') "Harmonia Macrocosmica Seu Atlas Universalis Et Novus." The striking image measures 41 x 51 cm on a sheet 50 x 59 cm. Numerous cherubim surrond the eastern hemispheric view, which is also divided into frigid, termperate, tropical and torrid zones. There are separate armillary and habitat zonal spheres in the lower corners. Ref: Koeman, Atlantes Neerlandici, Cel.3. There are bilateral, faint water-stains in the pink circular band surrounding the map image..

Hamburg: Fuchs, 1914. Very good, on thin paper, with original color, folds as issued (now flattened with some archival tape repair at folds on verso). Mild foxing most evident n lower margin. These maps, often ephemeral in nature, are now all increasingly scarce. Although the date on the map is 1870, it was published by Fuchs ("Verlag von Chs. Fuchs' lith. Inst. Hamburg" in lower right margin just outside neatline), and the text in the lower margin is in both German and French. The map image measures 24 x 38 cm. on a sheet 36 x 46 cm. There is a second title within the neatline: Carte drôlatique d'Europe pour 1870.. First Edition Thus.

Augusburg: Tobias Conrad Lotter and Albrecht Karl Seutter, 1756. Very good copperplate engraving with a right marginal tear not affecting image, repaired verso with archival tape. Some restoration to left margin (not affecting main image), and entire map backed with archival paper. Strong image. Small embossed stamp left lower margin (faint), with attribution to Seutter in left lower margin just below neatline. The date is approximate, and predicated on Lotter's partnership with Seutter from 1756-62. Earlier states appeared in a number of Seutter atlases. Ref: McCorkle, New England in Printed Maps, entry 730.4, p. 90. The image depicts an area from parts of Labrador to Nova Scotia. The map has outline and minimal wash color, with an elaborate, allegorical cartouche. Lotter was Seutter's son-in-law. The map image measures 58 x 50 cm..

Amsterdam: Visscher, Nicholas (Nicolaus), 1685. Very good, early color (perhaps some recent enhancement), few tiny worm holes, minor restoration at lower right (no image loss) and flattened center fold. Minmial browning margins. The date is approximate. Numerous biblical vignettes, some with Hebrew lettering. This was done for a Dutch bible, this one published by Visscher in Amsterday. Shirley's entry 457 is a similar map but without the Visscher imprint (and this issue does not have the tabular information in the lower central area. North America is labeled with "Japhet," and "Eden" is shown towards the cetner of the depiction of Asia. The vignettes are quite decorative. Moxon was a print and globe-maker, and he was the first tradesman to be elected to the Royal Society (online Dictionary of National Biography). The image measures 32 x 46 cm (18 x 12.5 inches), and has good margins..

Amsterdam, 1596. A highly decorative map of the southwestern coast of Africa. Overall very good, with early color. Some restoration most evident central verso, few professional wormhole repairs with margins reinforced verso. The map was engraved by Florent van Langren, and the first Dutch edition of Linschoten's "Itinerario..." was published by Cornelis Claesz in 1596. There are coastal views of the islands of Ascension and St. Helena within a strapwork cartouche at the bottom of the map. This is just the western sheet. The image measures 15.25 x 20.5 inches (39 x 52 cm). Two compass roses, decorative script and sailing ships. Coastal town names go inland, in the style of earlier portolan charts..